Bumper for motor vehicles



Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES d. so

isis, y ricer TENE l BUMPER FORMTGR VFLHIGLEF Application filed December To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY G. Tnnvnu, citizen of the United States, and resident of Beaver'Falls, in the count-y of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Bumpers for Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a specificetion.

This invention relates to bumpers for motor vehicles to prevent damage to a vehicle by head-on and rear end collisions, and it is the object of the invention to provide an improved bumper for this purpose which is also in the nature of a shock absorber, and to provide a bumper which is simple and cheap in structure and eiiicient in use.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bumper of this charater adapted 4vto serve as a side bumper or guard for the A vehicle.

` In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this Specification l -have shown an embodiment of the invention in which Fi ure 1 is av side elevation of a motor vehic e 'with my improved bumpers and side guards applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the chassis frame of a motor vehicle showing in dotted lines the fenders or mud guards in relationv to thil vehicle Wheels and my improved bumpers applied thereto.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of a mounting for one end of the bumpers. D

Figure 4 is s. detail View in side elevation of the mounting orthe other end of the bumpers; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the mounting for the bumper shown in Figure 4.

I have shown an embodiment of the invention in connection Witha motor vehicle of conventional form comprising a chassis vframe having side members 6, 6 connected by cross bars 7 and supported upon axles for traction Wheels 8 provided with the usual tires. The body 9 is mounted upon the chassis frame and carries fenders or mud guards 10 to extend laterallyl there' from and around the upper portion oi the wheel 8.

lWhile my improved bumper is adapted for use at 'the forward and rear ends of the motor vehicle. to prevent damage to the fenders'or mud guards for the front Wheels 8 by a head-on collision as Well as the radiator and lamps arranged at the front end oi the vehicle, and damage to the fenders or .nally bulged portion 2L 1, ieee serial ne. 753,100.

mud guards for Ithe rear Wheels and vehicle body by a rear end collision, the bumper is also adapted to serve as a side bumper or guard to prevent damage to the Wheel fenders by side swiping or otherwise.

In the use of the present bumper a series of four bumpers 11, 12, 13 and l/l are prei?- erubly employed' as shown in Figure 2 'to serve as front and rear bumpers having side 55 bumpers combined therewith, although it Will be obvious that they may be used either as front or rear bumpers, or a front bumper having side bumpers combined therewith or a rear bumper having side bumpers com.- bined therewith.

In the embodiment illustrated each o 'l the bumpers comprises bands vor bars of resilient material or greater ,Width than thickness, there being tvvo 15, 16 shown inthe present 7l? instance. Each bumper member comprises a resilient band attached at one end to a bracket 18 to extend inward toward the lon-- gitudinal axis of the vehicle and 'bent in e curve upon itself, as at 17, to extend out- 50 Ward across thevfender, then bent to extend longitudinally of the vehicle at the outer side of the wheel, and the end mounted in e, supporting bracket secured to the run-v ning board. The brackets 18 are pivotally 35 supported upon a ixed part of the vehicle, uponv the extremities of the side members of the chassis frame, as shown at 19. The portionsof the bumper bands arranged at the front of the vehicle `and extending in a direct-ion longitudinally of 'the vehicle and opposite the Wheels are curved upwardly .to substantially follow the contour oi the mud guard or fender for the front Wheels not only serving as a guard for the same but also permitting of' the movement of said Wheels upon the vertical axis of the supportv therefor to permit of steering or guiding of the vehicle. i, y

The ends of the bumper bands at the side of the vehiclev are arranged so that one band adjacent the extremity will lie with the side thereof in juxtaposed relation or contiguous to the side of the other bands as shown at 20, and mounted upon a ixed part at the 195 side of the vehicle to have simultaneous longitudinal yielding movement and longitudinal movement one relative to the other, with one band provided with u longitudi- To mount said ends or' the bumper bands there are provided brackets, each bracket firmly though yieldingly holding the bands in position. t

To, permit of the removal of the vehicle Wheels the securing member 25 for the juxta osed ends Q0 of the bands is released' W en said' end of the bumper may be swung upward upon the pivot .support l.) away from the Wheel.

5 While l have illustrated and described the bumpers 11, l2, 13 and 14 as consisting of a pair of bands it will be obvious that asingle and or bar may beutilized and come Within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim: 1. A'bumper for vehicles, comprising a band of'resilient material bent uponjitself to substantially U shape with one of the legs of greater length than the other leg and bent at a right angle to extend in a direction toward the shorter leg, and said band adapted to be-mounted at both ends upon a iixedfpart of the vehicle.

2. A bumper for vehicles, comprising a band of resilient material bent upon itself to substantially U shape with the legs extending in parallel relation, one of the legs being of greater length than the other leg and extended at a right angle to and curved llaterally of thelegs', and said band adapted to be mounted at both ends upon a fixed part of the vehicle. Y p 1 3. In bumpers for vehicles, a 'band of` springy material bent to angular form and mounted at one end upon affixed part at the end of the vehicle to extend transversely of the plane of rotation and laterally of the Wheel, and the other leg extending at the outside of the .Wheel substantially in parallel relation to the plane of rotation'of the Wheel and connected at the side of the vehicletohave longitudinal yielding Inoveinent.

V 4. ln bumpers for vehicles, a bandl of resilient material bent to angular form and mounted by one leg on a. fixed part at the 'end of the vehicle and to extend transversely of the plane of rotation and laterally of a Wheel, and the other leg extending `at the outside of the Wheel substantially in -parallel relation to the plane of rotation of the Wheel and curved upwardly and connected at the extremity to the vehicle `to have longitudinal sliding movement.

5. ln bumpers for vehicles, a band ofI springy material bent upon 'itself to sug stantially U shape andmounted at the .end

' oi' one leg on a xed part at the end of the vehicle with the U shape portion extending in a direction toward the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the other leg of the band being of a length to extend outward a distance beyond'the wheels and connected to the vehicle.

6. In bumpers for vehicles, a bracket mounted on a fixed part at the end of the vehicle to have movement on an axis ex? tending transversely of the vehicle, a band of resilient material bent to substantially right angle form, one angle portion of the band to extend transversely of the plane of rotation or a vehicle Wheel and having the end thereof bent'upon itself to substantially U shape and fixed at the extremity to the bracket, the other angle portion of the band extendingV longitudinally of the vehicle at the outer side of the Wheel and connected adjacent the extremity thereof to a xed part at the side of the vehicle.

7. A bumper tor vehicles, comprising a pair of bands ot' resilient material bent to right angle form, said bands being mounted at one end to a fixed part at the end of thevehicle in parallel edgewise spaced relation to extend transversely of the plane of rotation of a wheel, and the other angle portion of the bands extending longitudinally of the vehicle and at the outer side of the Wheel travel oi' the wheels, each of said bumpers' comprising bands of resilient material bent to right angleform with one end extending transversely ot a Wheel and bent upon itself to substantially U shape; brackets mounted on a fixed part at the end of the vehicle to have movement on an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and to which brackets the bands are fixed in edgewise spaced `ielation at one end, the other ends of said bands being" arranged in juxtaposed sidevvise' relation; and means to mount the bands at the juxtaposed ends upon a fixedpart at the side of the vehicle to have simultaneous longitudinal movement and longitudinal slidingy movement relative to each other.

-l. The combination, with a,'vehicle, Aof bumpers therefor to extend transversely of land in parallel relation to the direction of travel of the wheels, each otsaid bumpers t uprising bands'of resilient materialbent to right angle form with one end extending transversely of the wheels and *bent upon itaelic to Substantially U shape; brackets mounted on a fixed pari; at the ends of the vehii-e to have movement on an axis trans vemy to thtl longitudinal axis' of the vehicle and lo which brackets the bands are tixed in edgewise spaced relation at oneend. ,the other ends ol `Said bands being arranged in juxtaposed sidewise relation with the outer hand provided with alaterally bulged portion: and means to mount the bands at the juxtaposed ends at the side of the vehicle to have simultaneous longitudinal yielding movement, and longitudinal sliding movenient relative to each other, comprising a bracket secured to a fixed part of the vehicle arranged to embrace the side of the band and a member pivotally yconnected to the first member adapted to embrace the side of the other-band and co-operate with the first member to releasably clamp the juxtaposed bands' between said members.v

Signed at Beaver Falls in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, this 18th day of November, 1924.

HARRY G. TRAVER, 

